Colin Slade suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the Highlanders’ 33-26 defeat to the Brumbies on Saturday.

Slade’s poor run with injury continued in Canberra, which is his third serious injury in two seasons.

In 2011, the All Blacks flyhalf picked up a jaw injury in the Highlanders’ pre-season match against the Blues before breaking it against the Rebels midway through Super Rugby. At the World Cup, Slade’s tournament campaign ended with a groin tear during New Zealand’s 33-10 quarter-final win over Argentina. This after replacing Dan Carter as Graham Henry’s first-choice No 10.

Against the Brumbies, the 24-year-old suffered a serious fracture to his left ankle as he fell awkwardly in a tackle. He will now miss the rest of the Highlanders’ Super Rugby season. He’s also likely to be out of action for the rest of the year.